Alkaline wash is the step that removes oils, machining residues, oxides, and surface contamination. When it's done right, every downstream process performs as intended. When it isn't, no amount of correction at a following work stage can recover what was lost or missed.
Need to replace an aging system or steel? Protank regularly does this and can build custom replacement tanks to match your exact design and process specifications.
Built for Industrial Cleaning Applications
Custom alkaline wash tanks are made for jobs such as degreasing, descaling, and surface preparation, and are often seen in coating, plating, anodizing, cleaning, and maintenance applications. Protank builds custom alkaline wash tanks engineered for the specific chemicals, part sizes, and workflow of each cleaning application.
Tanks are delivered as floor standing tanks, elevated wash tables, or complete multi-stage systems based on your process requirements. Made from professional grade materials, our tanks are built to handle the harsh conditions and elevated temperatures common to alkaline wash applications with reliable, consistent performance.
Protank also supplies related downstream tanks: alodine treatment, aluminum deoxidizer, anodizing, and rinse tanks. We are a single-source fabricator for a complete process line, from incoming wash through surface treatment and rinse, if you need it.
Common Alkaline Wash Applications
Protank's custom alkaline wash tanks are made-to-spec to match the chemicals, sizes, add-on components, and workflow of each client's cleaning application to achieve consistent results.
Degreasing
Degreasing, the removal of oils, grease, and other residues, is a necessary step in many industrial processes and business workflows, and wash tanks are often the solution between the work and the result. Protank's alkaline wash tanks are used to streamline the cleaning of parts and components as needed to restore functionality, extend service life, or prep for downstream production roles. Here, these tanks serve a central role in maintenance routines and production lines in hard working environments like automotive, aerospace, manufacturing, and metal fabrication.
- Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH)
- Potassium Hydroxide (KOH)
- Sodium Metasilicate
- Water-Based Alkaline Cleaners
Descaling
Often formed during manufacturing or daily work activities, scale and deposits can severely affect equipment performance or ruin output quality. Our wash tanks are compatible with the solutions often used to eliminate buildup and protect components to achieve the desired performance and results.
- Sodium Carbonate (Washing Soda)
- Chelating Agents, EDTA or Sodium Gluconate
- Alkaline-Based Rust Removers (NaOH / Phosphate / Silicate)
- Bicarbonate of Soda (Sodium Bicarbonate)
Surface Preparation
Surface preparation is used in many industrial applications for optimal results in coating, plating, or assembly operations. Custom alkaline wash tanks can be designed for various part types and sizes to ensure thorough cleaning and preparation for downstream activities. All with consistent, repeatable quality. Parts cleaned in surface preparation tanks often move directly into coating, plating, anodizing, or alodine treatment operations. This makes compatibility of the tank design with your full process line a valuable project consideration.
- Alkaline Phosphate-Based Cleaners
- Alkaline Silicates
- Electrolytic Alkaline Solutions (NaOH or KOH with additives)
- Ammonium-Based Alkaline Cleaners
Stock tanks and outfitting options
Protank also carries a catalog of stock tanks available for immediate purchase. This includes vertical storage HDPE and XLPE tanks, open top polypropylene tanks, cone bottom tanks, and IBC totes. Stock tanks can be purchased as-is for buyers who need a standard vessel for their own use or customization, or Protank can fully outfit them with fittings, plumbing, pumps, and components to your specifications before shipment. Contact us to discuss stock availability and outfitting options.
Built for the Demands of Your Industry
Custom alkaline wash tanks support many industries and their often specialized cleaning demands. Each tank is built to address the individual cleaning challenges of its application and your onsite setup—all to improve workflow optimization, lasting durability, and compliance with industry oversight standards.
Automotive
Aerospace
Metal Fabrication
Food Processing
FDA · USDA · 3-A · NSFElectronics
IPC-5704 · IPC-A-610 · MIL-PRF-31032Pharmaceutical & Medical Device
Military & Defense
MIL-spec documentation availableGeneral Manufacturing
Build Your Tank to Your Exact Work Requirements
Every Protank alkaline wash tank is fabricated in-house and built to your specifications and needs: your workflow, part dimensions, and process line layout. From material selection to heating, process control, liquid movement, and safety features customizable for seamless integration and dependable performance.
Tank Materials
Polypropylene (PP) offers excellent resistance to alkalinity, wear, high temperatures, and chemical exposure. This versatility makes it ideal for the majority of industrial cleaning applications. PP sheet stock types include PP homopolymer (PP-H), for higher temperatures and better tank rigidity and PP copolymer (PP-C) for greater impact and stress crack resistance.
PVC, CPVC, HDPE, FRP, and PVDF are available for chemical jobs or temperatures where polypropylene is incompatible. Fittings come in various materials types to match chemical exposure, temperature ranges, and liquid handling needs.
Tank Sizes & Configurations
Protank fabricates and customizes tanks from a few gallons to several thousands of gallons of capacity. Tanks can be built in nearly any shape and dimension to fit your floor plan, doorways, or process cell layout.
- Compact models: For cleaning operations with limited space or only small volumes are needed
- Industrial scale tanks: For large scale operations with high volume needs to meet increased throughput and production; available with external load support
- Elevated wash tables: Tanks built with structural legs at work height, designed for manual parts washing and inspection without having to rely on separate stands or support frames
- Custom dimensions: Tanks can be built in nearly any shape and measurement to fit your floor plan, doorways, or work needs
Connections & Equipment
Fittings, ports, and ancillary equipment located according to your process and worksite layout.
- Tank fittings: Inlet and outlet fittings, drain plugs, overflow weirs, vent ports, and fill lines in the type, size, and location your jobs require. Overflow weirs are available for multi stage systems that feed directly into rinse tanks
- pH sensor ports and dosing inlets: Tanks can be designed with ports for pH monitoring probes and chemical dosing inlets to support upkeep, chemical replenishment, and line control in long running operations
- Ultrasonic system compatibility: For aerospace, electronics, and medical applications with precision cleaning requirements, tanks can be built to accommodate ultrasonic transducer arrays alongside the specific alkaline solution used
- Additional components: Pumps, valves, piping, baffles, insulation, level sensors (submersible, radar, ultrasonic), and more, put in place to match your system layout and process
Heating Systems
Elevated bath temperatures are used to accelerate soil removal, reduce cycle times, and improve the overall effectiveness of heavy degreasing and descaling. Most alkaline cleaning solutions perform optimally between 130°F and 190°F. This further specifies polypropylene tank material use as these operating temps are mostly within polyethylene's safe working range (180°F continuous).
Optimal Bath Temperature Range
Optimal operating range: 130°F – 190°F
Integrated Heat Tracing
Protank's integrated heat tape tracing systems and programmable controllers use electrical resistance heating and conduction to help maintain target bath temperatures automatically for consistent cleaning performance without manual interaction throughout shifts. Often paired with tank insulation.
Safety Features
Safety features are specified based on your regulatory requirements, chemical hazard profile, and facility risk tolerance. Options include:
- External Support: Steel girders, ribs, steel box sections, PP encased I-beams for structural support, load tolerance, and shape retention in large capacity rectangular or custom shaped tanks and ultrasonic agitation activities for resonance avoidance
- Secondary Containment: Spill basins and double wall tank options provide an added layer of protection against spills and leaks when safety is a top concern and industry-specific regulatory compliance is required
- Leak detection sensors: In-solution and out-of-solution sensors to continuously monitor liquid levels and alert operators if a leak is detected
- Visual and audible alarms: Used alongside leak detection sensors to provide immediate, high attention alerts so personnel are notified in the event of a hazardous situation